Head like an anvil, tongue like sandpaper: after a heavy night out, the hangover hits without mercy. The good news: with the right hangover cure, you'll shake it off much faster — and with a bit of preparation, you can even keep it smaller from the start. Here are the best hangover cure tips out there.
What is a hangover? A hangover is the collection of unpleasant symptoms that show up after too much alcohol — typically headaches, nausea, fatigue and thirst. It's triggered mainly by fluid and mineral loss along with alcohol's breakdown products in the body. The more you drink and the faster you drink it, the harder the hangover usually hits.
💡 By the way: that's why we built the ski boot shot glass set — the glass in a ski boot look with a clip-on binding. More on that below ↓
How the Body Breaks Down Alcohol
Alcohol is broken down mainly in the liver, and that process can't be sped up — not by coffee, not by a cold shower. As a rough rule of thumb, the body needs about an hour to process the alcohol in one standard drink. Once you understand that, you also understand why there's no miracle cure that gets you sober in minutes.
How fast the breakdown happens depends on several factors: body weight, sex, age, tiredness and whether you drank on an empty or full stomach. A solid meal before your first drink slows down alcohol absorption and is one of the most effective tricks there is.
A small difference with a big effect: swap standard glasses for the ski boot shot glasses with binding and you've already served up the first conversation starter.
What Helps Against a Hangover? The Best Hangover Cure Tips
The short answer: fluids, minerals and rest. A hangover is largely dehydration — that's where you start.
Drink Plenty of Water — It's the Key
Alcohol is a diuretic and drains fluid from the body. That's why plenty of water is the most important step against a hangover. Drink one or two large glasses before bed and keep a bottle by your bed. Herbal teas and fruit juices add vitamins and antioxidants on top.
Replenish Electrolytes
Along with fluid, the body loses minerals too. Electrolyte drinks or an electrolyte supplement from the pharmacy help restore the balance quickly. A salty broth does the same job and warms you up besides.
Fresh Air and Light Movement
A short walk in the fresh air often works wonders. Light movement gets the circulation going and helps the body get back on track. Just don't overdo it — gentle activity is the goal here, not interval training.
The Perfect Hangover Breakfast
The right breakfast makes a big difference. Go for nutrient-rich foods that replace what the alcohol took: eggs provide valuable amino acids, bananas bring back potassium, and oats or wholegrain bread stabilise blood sugar.
As tempting as the greasy fry-up sounds: heavy, fatty food puts extra strain on an already irritated stomach. Lighter options like fruit, vegetables, yoghurt and wholegrain products are the smarter choice the morning after. A glass of orange juice adds fructose and vitamin C on top. If you can't stomach anything in the morning, start with a mild vegetable broth — it delivers salt, fluid and a bit of warmth without overwhelming your stomach.
Proven Home Remedies and Recovery
Besides water and breakfast, there are a few classic home remedies that make a hangover more bearable:
- Ginger tea: eases nausea and calms the stomach.
- Honey: contains fructose, which helps the body break down alcohol.
- Bananas: quickly replenish lost potassium and electrolytes.
- Pickles & broth: deliver salt and fluid in one go.
The most underrated tip, though, is sleep. Alcohol disrupts sleep quality, which is exactly why catching up matters. Give your body rest, a darkened room and no plans. Relaxation techniques like calm breathing or gentle yoga also help ease headaches and restlessness.
The glasses are dishwasher-safe and have their own glass shape — the set with binding holds up to far more evenings than any plastic cup.
How Long Does a Hangover Last?
A hangover usually lasts anywhere from a few hours to a full day. Symptoms tend to peak once the alcohol in your blood has nearly dropped back to zero — so a few hours after your last drink, often the next morning. After that, they gradually fade, the better you support your body with fluids and rest.
How badly and how long a hangover hits you varies from person to person. The amount and pace of drinking play the biggest role, but sleep, diet and how you're feeling in general matter too. The right steps noticeably shorten the suffering — but a proper hangover can't be made to vanish entirely.
Hangover Myths That Don't Work
There's plenty of advice floating around about hangovers that does more harm than good. You can safely forget these three:
- Hair of the dog: fresh alcohol numbs the symptoms briefly, but only pushes the hangover back and doubles the strain on your body.
- Lots of coffee: caffeine is a diuretic too and can actually make dehydration worse. One coffee is fine, but it's no cure.
- The ice-cold shower: it wakes you up for a moment but doesn't speed up alcohol breakdown by a single second, and it stresses your circulation on top.
Even the famous greasy breakfast fry-up is no miracle cure — if it helps at all, it's mostly the salt and fluid doing the work, not the food itself. In short: what actually matters is water, minerals, light food and sleep.
The glasses are dishwasher-safe and have their own glass shape — the set with binding holds up to far more evenings than any plastic cup.
How to Prevent a Hangover: Prevention Tips
The best hangover is the one you never get in the first place. Know your limits and follow a few simple rules, and you'll wake up noticeably fresher:
- Eat a proper meal before you start drinking — ideally something with carbs and protein.
- Have a glass of water between alcoholic drinks.
- Drink slowly and take deliberate breaks.
- Don't mix different types of alcohol wildly.
Drinking consciously and with a bit of style automatically slows you down — a small, special glass invites sipping rather than knocking it back. For more on how to actually party right without suffering the next morning, our guide Après-Ski – Done Right shows you, with a wink.
Retro ski day event in Kitzbühel with skiing and a great … – @apresallstars
Frequently Asked Questions About Hangovers
What's the fastest hangover cure?
The fastest hangover cure is a combination of plenty of water, electrolytes and rest. Drink one or two large glasses of water or an electrolyte drink right after waking up, eat a light, nutrient-rich breakfast and give yourself sleep or a short walk in the fresh air.
Can you speed up alcohol breakdown?
No. The body breaks down alcohol at a fixed rate in the liver — roughly one standard drink per hour. Neither coffee, cold showers nor exercise change that. You can only ease the symptoms, not conjure up sobriety.
What should you eat with a hangover?
Light, nutrient-rich food: eggs for amino acids, bananas for potassium, oats or wholegrain bread for stable blood sugar. Add fruit, vegetables and yoghurt. Avoid heavy, fatty food, since it puts extra strain on an already irritated stomach.
Why do you get a hangover in the first place?
A hangover is caused mainly by fluid and mineral loss, since alcohol is a diuretic, plus alcohol's breakdown products in the body. Disrupted sleep adds to it. Together, that leads to headaches, nausea, fatigue and thirst.
Does hair of the dog help with a hangover?
No — so-called hair of the dog only pushes the hangover back and extends the strain on your body. Instead of adding more alcohol, focus on water, electrolytes and rest.
What's the best way to prevent a hangover?
Eat a proper meal before you start drinking, have water between drinks, drink slowly and take breaks, and don't mix different types of alcohol. Know your own limit and enjoy in moderation, and you'll wake up noticeably fresher the next morning.
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